1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiving device that receives image signals wirelessly transmitted by an in-vivo-image acquiring device that is introduced into a subject, such as a patient, to capture images of insides of organs of the subject.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of endoscopes, a capsule endoscope having an imaging function and a wireless communicating function included in a capsule-shaped casing has recently arrived on the market as an in-vivo-image acquiring device that obtains images of insides of a living body. After being swallowed through a mouth of a subject such as a patient for observation (examination), the capsule endoscope is moved by a peristaltic motion and the like in organs such as a stomach and a small intestine, and successively captures images of insides of the organs (hereinafter, also “in-vivo image”) of the subject at specific time intervals until the capsule endoscope is spontaneously excreted from the subject. The capsule endoscope successively wirelessly transmits image signals including these in-vivo images to outside.
The image signals wirelessly transmitted by the capsule endoscope are successively received by a receiving device carried by the subject. The receiving device receives the image signals from the capsule endoscope within the subject via a specific wave, and obtains the in-vivo images included in the received image signals. The receiving device has a recording medium removably attached thereto, and records a group of in-vivo images of the subject obtained (received) in this way in the recording medium. The recording medium having the group of in-vivo images of the subject recorded therein is then detached from the receiving device and inserted into an image display device. The image display device obtains the group of in-vivo images of the subject via the recording medium, and displays the obtained group of in-vivo images of the subject on a display. A user such as a doctor or a nurse successively observes the in-vivo images of the subject displayed by the image display device, and examines the insides of the organs of the subject through the in-vivo images (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2003-19111).
Meanwhile, the receiving device is not limited to the one that transfers the group of in-vivo images of the subject to the image display device via the recording medium. Another receiving device that is communicably connected via a cable to a real-time display device that displays in-vivo images of a subject in real time, thereby to transmit the in-vivo images to the real-time display device via the cable in real time is known. In this example, the real-time display device displays the in-vivo images received from a capsule endoscope within the subject by the receiving device in real time. Still another receiving device that includes a wireless transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits a group of in-vivo images of a subject to outside, thereby to wirelessly transmit the group of in-vivo images received from a capsule endoscope within the subject to the image display device described above is known (for example, see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2005-66096).
The receiving device described above can include a wireless transmitting unit that wirelessly transmits image signals to the real-time display device, instead of transmitting the in-vivo images to the real-time display device via the cable. This enables the receiving device to wirelessly transmit the image signals (the in-vivo images of the subject) received from the capsule endoscope within the subject to the real-time display device in real time, thereby enhancing usability of the real-time display device. Specifically, botheration of a need to connect the real-time display device and the receiving device with the cable to enable the real-time display device to display the in-vivo images, inconvenience of a limited accessible range of a user such as a doctor or a nurse that observes the in-vivo images displayed by the real-time display device due to the cable, and the like can be eliminated.